Dawn of The Dead ALT storylineending
by Flammable01
Summary: An alternative ending to the 2004 version of Dawn of The Dead, as well as introducing a new character into the story.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter one.

Dawn's alarm rang angrily throughout her room, and she pressed the 'sleep' button gently. She stood up and crossed the room towards her closet, and began to get dressed for work. The sun was barely hanging in the sky, providing a small amount of light to the streets.

She had to wake up early every morning because she worked at an abortion clinic, and she didn't like getting caught by the Catholic-Baby-Rights committee.

Dawn was nineteen and was still living with her parents at the time, but she desperately was trying to save up for her own apartment. Her mother had gone to the hospital the night before because she went into early labor. Dawn's parents were always talking about having another child and it miraculously happened later than they expected; ten years later to be exact.

Dawn's hair was unmanageably a curly auburn red color; she normally tied it back in a ponytail because it would get too crazy if she left it out, and she refused to cut it. She had very little freckles, unlike her mother, and dark heavy green eyes.

She was never much of a social girl, and had very few friendships. For some odd reason she was always silent and pulled inward when people tried to have a conversation with her. The friends she did make were older men, and that troubled her parents greatly. She always felt it was easier to talk to older people, probably because the last thing teenagers in a small town wanted to talk about was politics and the economy.

As she buttoned up her shirt she turned her head to the window and saw a large stain of blood across the driveway. She stared at it with a puzzled expression, trying to figure out if her mind was playing a cruel trick on her eyes.

Unfortunately, it was not. The streets were all stained with the dry copper scented liquid, houses were smoking from the windows, and cars were crashed into various scenery. The hair on her arms stood up as she stared at the chilling scene.

She stumbled into the living room. The television was on, and she grabbed the remote and turned the volume up when she heard the word 'Bloodbath.'

"This is an epidemic; I advise everyone to stay in their homes and do not come in contact with anyone out of the safety of their houses. Be careful, America." The message started up again and repeated itself several times. Dawn stared at the television, her wrist shaking nervously with every syllable, and her heart pounding up to her throat.

A loud grunt came from the next room, and Dawn turned her head slowly to find out who it was from. "M…Mom?" She called out shakily.

The sound of a vase shattering to the ground and a large 'THUMP' came from the room in return to her.

"Momma?" She squeaked, reverting to her childlike instinct.

A mere shell of what used to be her mother stepped into view, her eyes glazed over and blood covered her face. Dawn's jaw dropped. She knew something was wrong; _very wrong_.

The carcass made a shrill shrieking noise and ran awkwardly because of the pregnancy weight towards Dawn. Dawn leapt up and darted to the front door, and_ it _followed her.

A hand shot out from the dining room near the floor and clutched Dawn's ankle; she looked down to see her father's _torso _at the end of the stiff arm, and his eyes were glazed over in the same hazy manner.

Her mother came around the corner, still chasing after Dawn intently, and Dawn kicked the _monster's _hand off of her and ran out the door.

The road looked much more dangerous and frightening than her from her window now. She pressed her hand against her hip, trying to dig for the keys to the car, but only to find she hadn't had time to get pants on.

"Fuck…" She whimpered.

"DAWN!"

Dawn whipped her head to the left to see Selena, her neighbor, in a vehicle with several others. "Selena!!" Dawn sighed in relief.

"Get in, hurry!" Selena pushed the car door on the opposite side of her open.

Dawn's immediate reaction was to accept, but she looked in the backseat only to see a child with the same distant look in their eyes. "Selena… Get out of the car…" She said, trying to stay calm.

"Are you kidding?" Selena choked out and placed her hand on the back of the passenger seat near the child's face.

"Selena, I'm serious. Get out of the ca—"

The child lashed out and sunk its teeth into Selena's tender hand, and the two people next to _it_ screamed and jumped out of the car quickly.

The child soon shot into the front seat and began mangling poor oblivious Selena.

Dawn backed up nervously and the two that were in the car grabbed her wrist, "We have got to get out of here. _Now_." The man said, and the woman that was with him looked around frantically trying to figure out a way to get out of the mess that they were in.

Dawn looked down at the man's waist, and saw a gun sticking out of his belt. She snatched it and put two bullets through the child's head and it fell limply out of the car. The woman screamed and clutched the man's wrist.

"Come on." Dawn said in a low voice, and pushed Selena's corpse out of the car. The couple abided and jumped into the backseat, and locked the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two.

Dawn looked back at the couple and studied them carefully to make sure that they were safe to be around.

The man was a fairly tall black man with a thin mustache. He had a structured jaw and his cheekbones were prominent. His eyes were dark brown and calm, and he didn't appear to be shaken at all by the situation. He was wearing a black shirt and torn faded blue jeans.

The woman with him had a thick German accent, and light auburn hair. She looked to be very pregnant and she constantly cradled her stomach as if to reassure the baby inside her that everything was going to be okay. She had a fairly oval face, and somehow her makeup seemed to stay in place throughout the madness.

"So… What're you two's names?" Dawn asked, trying hard not to let her fear show.

"I'm Andre, and this is Luda, and you?" The man said softly and caressed the woman's cheek.

"I'm Dawn."

"Ah, the baby… Baby is kicking…" Luda rubbed her stomach and smiled, and Andre smiled back heavily.

"So when's she due?" Dawn questioned.

"Any day now… Where are we goin'?" Andre replied and changed the subject quickly.

"The mall… I think it's the best option right now. It should have backup emergency lights and food." Dawn explained, and Andre nodded in agreement.

The car halted to a stop slowly, and Andre and Luda looked up confused. Their confusion was soon answered; the road was paved with crushed buildings and was impossible to drive through. Dawn cussed under her breath, 'How the hell are we going to get there now?' She sighed.

"There." Andre leaned up to the front seat and pointed, "Go that way. It'll take longer, but it still can get us there." He said and motioned towards a road to the left.

"You're sure about this?" Dawn asked and began driving already knowing his answer.

"Yeah, I'm sure." He leaned back and Luda lay down on his lap.

After driving for about thirty minutes, Andre leaning up every ten or so to tell Dawn to turn this way and that way, and burying a few recent memories, they finally arrived at the mall.

Andre helped Luda out of the vehicle and Dawn grunted at the pain in her throbbing muscles.

Luda screamed, and Dawn gasped as a stiff cold gun was placed to the back of her head. "She one of them?" A deep hoarse voice came from behind the trigger.

"No, man, put the gun down." Andre replied and motioned his hands in a downward motion.

"She is not bad!" Luda cried.

"Say somethin', who are you?" The voice said once again.

"I'm Dawn…" Dawn said as she forced her lips to move.

The pressure of the pistol disappeared and the click of it being put into a holster sounded. "You're headed to the mall as well?" A higher pitched man's voice asked.

Dawn turned around to see a very tall muscular ebony skinned man in uniform glaring at her. He had a bandana over his head and a rugged thick black mustache. His glare was cold and angry, yet somehow gave Dawn the feeling he was trustworthy.

The other man with him was shorter and skinnier with messy dark blonde hair. He looked like he was in great need of a shaver and a new pair of clothes, and his eyes were ruefully light blue. He had a disposition about him that made him look uneasy and frightened even though his voice was calm.

"Yeah." Andre replied.

"Good. We are too. I'm Michael, and this is… Uhm… Sorry, I didn't catch your name." Michael looked at the other man uncomfortably.

"Kenneth." He said sorely and began walking towards the mall.

"…And apparently he's Kenneth." Michael rubbed the back of his neck and followed Kenneth.

"You think we can trust 'em?" Andre asked nervously and placed his hand on the small of Luda's back.

"Yeah, I think they're fine." Dawn nodded and followed shortly behind Michael.

Kenneth pulled a shotgun off of his back and blew a hole in the lock on the mall's backdoor. He swiftly raised an ankle and kicked the door in, and just as he did Luda screamed in a nauseatingly high voice.

Everyone turned their heads to see Andre and wrestling a large bloody creature trying to maul Luda's arm. Kenneth raised the shotgun and shot the monster several times in the shoulder and Luda collapsed into Andre's arms.

"You okay, baby?" Andre asked desperately, and Luda nodded and sobbed.

"Oh no…" Michael said softly as a large mob of _them _came roaring at the group.

Kenneth forcefully shoved everyone into the building and slammed the door locked behind them. The creatures banged and howled through the door.

"That isn't gonna hold for long." Andre said bluntly and rushed Luda and himself down the hallway.

"Where are we?" Dawn turned to Michael and Kenneth hoping they would have the answer.

"Garage floor." Michael said and began walking in the same direction as Andre and Luda.

"I suggest we go to the elevator… Assuming it's still runnin'." Kenneth said as Dawn caught up with his pace.

"It should be." Dawn replied and adjusted her hair.

"Sorry if this is inappropriate, but why aren't you wearing pants?" Michael called back to Dawn.

"No time." Dawn replied and tried to pull her shirt over her panties.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The pleasant elevator music chimed as they went through floors, and the gentle ring swam through Dawn's ears was nice and calming.

The loud rattling of pistols rising and fear so thick you could cut a knife with soon changed the situation.

"Find somewhere else." A man with a hat that in big bold white letters said 'Security' said. He had a brunette mustache that ran down to his jaw, and a small beard under his lower lip. His brow was tense and focused on the outsiders.

"There isn't anywhere else." Kenneth barked, and one of the men in the group flinched at Kenneth's harsh tone.

"Our homes are destroy!" Luda whined.

"Oh, well that changes everything. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here." He tightened his finger around the trigger.

"Come on, please, we won't be any trouble." Michael put his palms together.

Andre forced the elevator doors to stay open as they automatically tried to close.

"CJ, come on, we can't just leave 'em out there." One of the other security officers whispered.

The man cleared his throat and nodded, "Fine. You can stay here."

The group cautiously walked in, and the security staff forced the guns away from Kenneth and Andre. They grunted and complained about it at first, but soon quieted down.

Michael, Kenneth, and Dawn all sat down on the couches in a television store, hastily ready to feel the warm comfort of the sofas.

Dawn rubbed her temples and drowned out the chatter; she drowned out all of the voices around her. Kenneth's, Michael's, Luda's, Andre's… everyone's. She was sincerely hoping she'd wake up from this nightmare. That, perhaps, it was all just a horrible dream, and if she tried hard enough she'd wake up in her comfortable bed and hear her mother and father's soothing voices.

But, it wasn't a bad dream. And her parents were dead…ish.

A hand patted Dawn's shoulder, and she tuned back into reality. It was one of the security officers, the one who was in charge. "Come on, you get to watch your lil TV, time to go to your room." He said sarcastically.

"I just need a minute… Where's the bathroom?" Dawn said quietly.

The man's eyebrow twitched and he turned back to the younger blonde security cop, "Take her to the bathroom."

"No way man. Make Terry do it." The kid shook his head.

"Terry is escorting the rest to their rooms, dumbass." He grunted, but it had no effect on the other officer as he lay down on a couch to go to sleep.

"Fuckin' pussy." He yelled at the sleeping blonde security officer and stood up. "Come on, I'll take you. Since apparently my staff are all jackasses who won't do their damn jobs." He yanked the keys from the younger one's hands and began to walk off.

Dawn followed swiftly, "What's your name?" She tried to make conversation.

"Just call me CJ." He replied without turning around.

"I'm Dawn."

"Whoop-dee-fucking-doo, lady. Is this how you dress every day? Or only on apocalypses?" CJ swung the key around his index finger.

"I didn't have time to get dressed!" She glared and pushed the bathroom door open, CJ followed. "Women only, you prick."

"I don't want you stealing junk from the bathroom." He leaned on the wall next to one of the stalls.

"What the fuck _could_ I steal?! It's a fucking bathroom!" She walked over to the counter of sinks.

"Didn't I see you at church that one time?" CJ changed the conversation.

"No. I don't go to church." Dawn replied and began washing the blood off of her one of the sinks.

"_Huh_. That's weird. I saw you as one of those anal Catholic psychopaths." He replied and shoved his hands in his pockets.

Dawn laughed in response, "You have a horrible read on people." She scrubbed her hands more vigorously as if to wash the memories away.

"Why's that?"

"I work at an abortion clinic." Dawn said softly and grabbed at the towel dispenser— it was all out. "Damn it."

"I'll grab you some from the men's restroom." CJ replied and walked out.

Dawn sighed heavily and rubbed the back of her neck, "Damn it."


End file.
